This article is part of our FanDuel NHL series.
Friday is a rough day for FanDuel players. There are only two games, and the top three teams in goal prevention are all in action. Points are going to be hard to come by, but here's a look at some players to target who may help you work around that.
GOALIE
Devan Dubnyk, MIN at CGY ($9,000): Carey Price, who's also in action Friday, has the league's best save percentage at .947. However, Dubnyk is second at .946. He's also got an easier matchup, and he costs $1,100 less than Price. You can't go wrong with either goalie, but Dubnyk is the better value.
CENTER
Eric Staal, MIN at CGY ($5,600): The Flames are Friday's only active team that isn't elite in goal prevention, and they also have the 28th-ranked penalty kill. Staal is averaging 2:39 per game on the power play, and he's taken 65 shots on goal in 22 games as part of his bounce-back campaign. He definitely has an easier matchup than most centers Friday, and he's also been one of the more productive pivots among those few in action.
Mikko Koivu, MIN at CGY ($4,700): Koivu has same matchup as Staal, of course. He isn't quite having the season Staal is, but he does have 11 points, including three on the power play. The Finn is relatively cheap, but he's got a quality matchup that gives him a shot at providing bang for your buck on such a slim and challenging slate.
WING
Mikael Granlund, MIN at CGY ($5,200): Yes, it's another Minnesota player. You do recall that the top three teams in terms of goal prevention are among the four squads in action Friday, right? Granlund is playing career-high minutes, and he's got five points on the power play. That's encouraging heading into a matchup against one of the league's worst penalty kills.
Charlie Coyle, MIN at CGY ($5,100): Coyle is an even better value than Granlund. He's got eight goals and 15 points, and he's notched 53 shots on goal in that time. Coyle has ascended to Minnesota's top right wing, and he was a 20-goal scorer last season, so he should have every opportunity to get on the scoresheet Friday.
Nino Niederreiter, MIN at CGY ($4,300): One more Wild forward for the road; you can't use 'em all, but you can at least use some. Niederreiter has been solid, netting seven goals and 14 points, including three goals with the extra man. He plays fewer minutes than other Wild forwards, but he's still producing, and he's also cheaper. It makes sense to select him in this matchup over the better players who have to match up against the likes of Price, Dubnyk and Martin Jones.
Alexander Radulov, MON at SAN ($6,300): Here's one player who isn't from the Wild. If you're going to go with a guy in a really tough matchup, you're best served not getting too cute. Radulov has 18 points, including five on the power play, in 21 games; he draws a good goalie in Jones and his .921 save percentage, but at least the Russian isn't facing Price or Dubnyk. That slight edge in matchup is enough to make Radulov's worthy of lineup inclusion.
DEFENSEMEN
Jared Spurgeon, MIN at CGY ($4,700): Back to Minnesota. Spurgeon has 39 shots on goal in 18 games, and he's playing 2:33 a night on the power play. Given how poor Calgary's penalty kill has been, that's worth noting. He's not the most prolific offensive player, but he's good enough to pay off in this matchup.
Jonas Brodin, MIN at CGY ($3,600): Brodin isn't as big a part of the power play as Spurgeon, but the Swede has three power-play points and has played more than a minute per game with the extra man in his last four contests. He hasn't needed power-play time to contribute offensively, though, as he has a solid 10 points to his credit. Brodin is also quite cheap, which has the potential to make him a real steal.
